Question:
Hi I'm rosella a 14 yr old student at Kotlik Schools
I'm in the 9th grade and I was wondering why some
Planets have rings around them and the rest don't.
Replies:
If an orbiting object approaches a planet then it may be torn apart by
the tidal force of the planet. The exact distance at which this happens depends
on the composition of the orbiting object. This object could be a MoonHHHHmoon
or a passing comet or asteroid. The debris of such objects forms a ring. So the planet has to be
lucky enough to get an object within the correct range and and at not too
oblique an incidence.
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